I thought I would kick off my first post with ARIZONA, a new psychedelic rock band I saw perform just last night.
[Lead singer, Ben Wigler]
The band Arizona is actually from NYC and Ashville, NC., and they are some of the truest people I have encountered.
Arizona was just supposed to be the opener for Amy Ray, but as it turns out her van completely shit out on her in MN and she wasn't able to make it, and as a result a member of Arizona, Alex (the bassist), had to leave to go retrieve her trailer so they could be on schedule for the next night. As a result they got to play nearly every song and their new album, Glowing Bird, and then some. 
So myself and a few dozen others were able to see Arizona: Acoustic for the first time ever. Although they joked that the only difference from their rock sound and their "acoustic" was that they were sitting down in chairs. But really, the whole night had a great chill atmosphere to it. We set up couches in the front of the stage and they performed a sort of Storytellers version.
The band was very excited to be playing a concert of their very own, and they weren't afraid to experiment around. There were quite a few laughs on stage and off. During one song, the drummer left them to do a duo and came back on stage doing some funny hand shows to the music, then lightly hammering the cymbals to give a chilling effect.
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THE MEMBERS
The lead singer and also a guitarist, Ben, was one of the sweetest guys I've ever encountered, dressed in a very unique outfit of dress shorts, a t-shirt supporting the Cement Workers of America, black running tights, and a non-matching pair of toe socks - one red, the other rainbow.
The main guitarist and also vocalist, Nick Campbell, sported a Metallica shirt and jeans. The song "Balloon" from their newest album, is based on an old man Nick became aquainted with while working at a Balloon factory in Brooklyn.
The drummer who also chimed in some background vocals, James, was simply dressed in a white tee and jeans. After the concert, I was just sitting around and he came over to talk to me about my favorite bands, as I was wearing a Kooks tee. I showed him some of my favorites and he really enjoyed them. It was such a cool experience.
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After the gig, I was able to get a little closer to the band, and purchased a CD and had them sign - they were so grateful, one of my favorite attributes of a new band. They are so sweet and take the time to get to know you. In fact, the lead, Ben, took some photos of our group of workers with him and the band. It was a really special evening.
I really suggest you check them out at their Myspace, my favorite tracks from their new album include Glowing Bird, You Were Right, and Heath, and their older albums are available on iTunes.
